Markos has a very nice post today about the results of the recall elections in Wisconsin. I particularly love this part:
Republicans are insisting that they still won, because they didn't lose as badly as they could've. And sure, we didn't take back the Wisconsin Senate. But if we continue to "lose" like this, winning 33 percent of Republican districts while holding our own, then Nancy Pelosi will get her gavel back with a 272-160 House majority.
The front-pager whom I want to read today, though, is Chris Bowers.
Outside of Wisconsin, Daily Kos's Campaign Director Chris Bowers has truly been one of the netroots heroes in galvanizing support for these August elections in the Midwest. He has been tireless, he has been relentless, he has been brilliant. So I just want to take note of what he has had to say, although for reasons that will become clear (as indicated by the brackets and ellipses) I've made some slight editorial adjustments.
Again, a warning: these are not precisely Chris Bowers's words, but they're close.
I remember my first ever post on [what was then the upcoming election]. I can remember my mindset when I made the post, like it was yesterday. In the deepest fiber of my being, I knew [we] had no chance. I knew, long before the special election primary, that [each of these was a] ridiculously Republican district.... Still, after everything I had posted since the election, about a real fifty-state strategy, about challenging every seat, about the basic structural problems progressives faced (also here) there was no way I could back down. I knew from that day forward, I was going to push ... as hard as I could.
I tell you something else: I never thought he would come this close. Never, ever, ever, ever. Never once, at least not consciously. But that still doesn't mean I don't want to cry right now.
I know this is a huge victory--crazy, bizarre, impossible that [we] came this close. I know how important this is--and not just for [a] tidal wave that now seems all but assured.... [Democrats] would have won any [most] other [races.] [We] only lost this one [barely]....
But still, despite all this, I want to cry. I had suppressed all hope for so long, and then at the final hour it came out when [we almost] took the lead.... I couldn't stop shouting "YES! YES! YES!" It wasn't even possible to talk to me. It was like every deepest dream you ever had coming true. I actually wrote ... "The force will be with [us], always. It is getting close to total freak-out time." And that it went away so quickly.
We held out for so long, against impossible odds. The volunteers, the research, the free media, the fundrasing--unbelievable. We started with little help--except for [great candidates]--and made it so close when it should have been such a huge blowout. But I still want to cry....
[Someone] sent me the following email:
I know it may not feel like it right this second but you are changing the world. I know it sounds corny but in this case it is accurate. Each time, you push us closer and closer to having better candidates and eventually winning candidates. Not in the high profile races where it takes no guts at all, but in the races where the "pros" have blown it.
Soon, you will have the victories you so rightfully deserve. Congrats to all of you who fought so hard. [We] will take it next time around. I'm sure he has learned a lot.!!!! Rest easy, ya did good!!! Love, ...
Writing this has made me feel a lot better. The Alamo fell, but we are going to win the war because of it. Tomorrow, it's back to business. There is, after all, a huge DFA Meetup where I will be the MC. I hope to see you there.
And yes, if you look at the original, you'll see that I cheated slightly. That was not about the Wisconsin recalls at all. It was from another August, six years ago and a couple of weeks, when Democrat Paul Hackett almost beat Mean Jean Schmidt in a special election where we had no business even being in the ballpark.
Chris did an amazing job with these elections and his words still ring true. If we play our cards right, we may have the equivalent of a "Ned Lamont" mid-2006 election in mid-2012. We may have an election that tells the Party establishment that, "yes, it's safe to take a progressive stance on the most pressing issue of the day!" -- then Iraq, now unemployment and recession.
If that happens, then Chris's words may prove to be as prophetic for next year as they were in 2005. We have the answer, and sometimes we have to pull the stubborn donkeys in our party close enough to see it. Stand for something. The Alamo fell in Wisconsin; we did not reach our goal. But there is more to politics than a single battle. From the rubble of the recalls may grow our victory.
And Chris: thanks. You made me proud to be on your team.
10:30 PM PT: Re-edited slightly to take out the sole inserted reference to Wisconsin from the altered version of Chris's quote, which is both unnecessary and which I am concerned might trick the casual reader. I have also added another line of disclaimer to emphasize that this quote was not about Wisconsin.